Arlen Vidal-Castro

The master’s program at Soka allowed me to develop a strong foundation in the philosophy of educational thought, providing me with the knowledge I needed to anchor myself in core beliefs around children and their learning. In addition, I gained essential research skills that I gave me the opportunity to dive deep into theory while empowering me to use research as a tool for social change. After my time at Soka, I was able to secure a job as a demonstration teacher at the UCLA lab school, which was founded on Dewey’s principle “learning is doing.” Being at the lab school I now teach, engage in action research, and educational reform through public outreach.